Trump says he hasn’t thought about pardoning junior staff, then tells an aide she won’t have to worry

Asked at his Palm Beach polling place on Saturday whether he’s considering pardoning junior administration officials to shield them from congressional inquiries, Trump asked, “Like who?” Then he gave the answer of a man who has given it no thought at all: “Well, I haven’t thought of it, but I will tell you it would be very unfair to go through what we went through for four years with the corrupt weaponization that took place.” He finished: “So, certainly I haven’t thought about it, but certainly I’d be allowed to.”

The question came from a Washington Sun report that morning. It said White House attorneys are evaluating mass pardons for junior staff, with conservative groups including the Heritage Foundation and American Moment pressing for pardons or help with legal fees. One of the Sun’s sources called a pardon for all junior staff unlikely. Trump’s case rested on Joe Biden, who did issue preemptive pardons on his way out in January 2025, including for members of the January 6 committee. Trump called that committee “a fraud.”

Then, for a man who hadn’t thought about it, he had a name ready. “I certainly don’t want to see innocent people go through hell and lose all their money, like Margo,” he said. “If she becomes a target, you know, she’s a very honest person, but they’re going to drag her into a grand jury. She’s standing right there. Margo, you’re not going to have to worry about it, okay?” The pool report identifies her as Margo Martin, the aide standing nearby. He didn’t say who would make her a target, or why.

He also offered this, which we can’t argue with: “The presidential pardons are, they say, the most powerful thing a president has.”